My HRT Music Streamer HD DAC is a game changer


I haven't started a thread this long for years, I think, so you have a hint right there. The truth is that I can't say enough good things about the new inexpensive DACs that seem to appear every week. I have only tried two -- the Audioquest Dragonfly is the other one -- but when I decided on the HRT Music Streamer HD, I knew I had hit gold for not much dough. I have been an audiophile since the early seventies, now retired, and my audio system is just appropriate for a small room, but forget the system --I don't remember enjoying music as much as I do now-- perhaps during my Thorens/ADC analog days, but that was a long time ago. A few years back I settled on a Squeezebox with Bolder power supply, but there is no comparison between it and the new DACs. My decision on the HRT HD was heavily due to its (true) balanced outputs, since my system is on the opposite side of the room from my computer. When the HRT HD is "correctly fettled," as Alan Sircom rightly puts it in Hi-Fi+ (meaning for me KingRex battery power and Elijah Audio Isolaate BL USB cable magic), it is awesome and then some. Ambience, natural timbre of instruments and voices, performers and instruments that have real body (not paper ships on a paper sea), huge soundstage, the feeling that you are there with the performers. Audio Nirvana!
vladimir
Hi Vlad,
Thanks for the review. I just recently acquired the Streamer HD and had a listen this weekend. Alan Sircom mentioned that without being "correctly fettled" the Streamer was very "meh". I have to completely agree. Now mind you that my current reference DAC is a dcs 954 (pro DAC retailing over $7k) so it's a bit unfair comparing the two. Just merely stating my point of reference. I've got an ifi iUSB on order so we'll see how it elevates performance, but by itself, the Streamer HD is a very run of the mill budget DAC.
Vlad, did you listen to the Streamer by itself? What was your impression?
Yes, I used it by itself for about two weeks and it was better than the Dragonfly and much better than my Squeezebox. Battery power makes a lot of difference, though. I had to buy a BIX550 as a backup because the KingRex only plays for 4-5 hours and then needs 7-8 hours to recharge.
I just read that hi-fi+ review and was wondering if he was over the top by saying it could keep in Bricasti and dCS company.

Unusually with these budget dac's they just say its good for the money - but he was very enthusiastic, and Alan Sircom is not prone to this sort of hyperbole.

So thanks for a 2nd opinion Vlad !! Now what does this DAC sound like via SE outputs?